


KnightRiderPodOfficial

by KI3T



Category: Knight Rider (1982)
Genre: Based on a Tumblr Post, Fandom being intense, Gen, Large amounts of caps lock, Michael Knight Starts a Podcast, Partially told in Twitter message format, Season 1 characters because those are the ones I know, This fic has no romantic pairings but the fans of Michael's podcast sure think it does, This fic treats Knight Rider as if it was set in the modern day, This is so far from my usual writing style and I had a great time with it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:35:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28084767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KI3T/pseuds/KI3T
Summary: Michael Knight decides to secretly make a podcast about his adventures working for FLAG with KITT, and it quickly gains popularity. Will the others at FLAG find out about it? Yes, yes they will. Will the fans get extremely invested in the show? Also yes. Is Devon Miles an ominous threat in the eyes of the fandom, subjecting his employees to needless NDAs? Of course.Whatever happens, Michael's going to have fun.This story was inspired by a very good thread from the Tumblr Knight Rider fandom.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 17





	KnightRiderPodOfficial

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this Tumblr thread: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/solarcitymelodies/637527713487503360  
> I really enjoyed writing in this AU, and I hope other people will write it in the future because there's so much potential for comedy! Over 2k words and I barely scratched the surface here.
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** This fic isn't intended to be a commentary on fandom culture, it's just intended to be a silly story. I wrote it in a day and edited it in another day, because I thought the idea was fun and I wanted to share my take on it with the world. :)  
> Also some Tumblr KR fans gave permission for me to toss their usernames into this fic, so they're here as random fans! Other resemblances to real usernames are purely coincidental; I had to make up a lot of usernames for this on the fly.
> 
>  **Content warnings:** Fans being intense, although not in a threatening way, they're just very enthusiastic. Also extensive use of caps lock.

It had started innocently enough.

KITT and Michael had been on yet another of their cross-country road trips, trekking across a truly vast and very empty stretch of America, and Michael had been unable to find anything except static on the radio for miles and miles. His cell signal was nonexistent, his favorite CDs were overplayed to the point where he no longer wanted to hear them, and the road was so straight and empty that the act of driving wasn't entertaining at all.

KITT, desperate for anything to keep Michael amused, because when he was bored he became _annoying_ , on a whim downloaded some podcasts off the internet when he finally found a usable cell tower. The shows were free, they were an hour or so long each, and they seemed like the perfect new thing to try.

Together they had listened, and the podcasters' stories and banter had kept the two entertained for the rest of their very long road trip.

KITT was relieved, so relieved.

It became a tradition: KITT would load up a bunch of new podcasts on various topics into his database, everything from cooking to science to ghost stories, and together they listened to them in their hours together.

One fateful day, as they listened to a true crime podcast, Michael grinned suddenly and looked to KITT's dash. "I could do this."

"You could do what?" KITT asked warily. Michael looked to have An Idea, and when Michael had Ideas, you never knew what might happen.

"Be a podcaster. Tell stories about the things we've seen and done. Can you imagine, KITT? They'd love to hear the stories of me and my talking car, fighting crime across the land. We'd be legends, finally getting praise for the hard work we do every day!" he grinned.

"Hmm," KITT said. "I'm not so sure you're the type to be an internet personality, they have to spend so much time recording, and it's probably very boring."

"I could do it," Michael said, looking more intent on this idea by the second.

"Besides," KITT added hastily, "The nondisclosure agreements you've signed would preclude that."

Michael considered that, and nodded after a few moments. "You're right, Buddy, you're right."

* * *

But now it was two in the morning, and Michael couldn't sleep. He'd tried, he'd tried so hard, knowing that tomorrow there was likely to be work, and he was going to have to be ready for it. But the Idea kept churning through his thoughts, and he just couldn't stop thinking about it.

At 2:12 in the morning, Michael got out of bed and opened his laptop. He searched the internet: 'how to make a podcast'.

And at 3:25, having downloaded software, opened a multitude of browser tabs, and crammed more knowledge about recording than he had imagined in his life, Michael started recording his first episode.

* * *

He called the podcast Knight Rider, because Knight was in both his and KITT's names, and Rider seemed like a nice reference to the old Western movies where a brave outlaw and their valiant horse would travel the land to fight crime. KITT being the horse in this scenario in his mind, of course.

He called KITT 'my partner' and Devon 'the boss' and Bonnie 'the mechanic'. KITT was 'a scarily good driver, almost as good as me', Devon was 'the most British person you can possibly imagine', and Bonnie was 'the person who fixes our car when my partner inevitably damages it with his stunts'.

He told the story of how he and his partner had stopped a biker gang war from happening in a little town, and how his partner had refused to go rock climbing with him that day because his partner was scared of heights, but it was okay because his partner had shown up with the car and saved him when the bikers had been about to beat him up.

He got himself a website and posted his first episode.

He created a Twitter account, and started following everyone in hopes they would follow back.

At first he got nothing. Some people blocked him thinking he was a spam account, he realized later. But a few followed back. Somebody listened to the episode, and said it was good.

Michael stared at the comment for a long time, a grin slowly spreading across his face. Someone liked his podcast! He leaped to his feet, about to go tell KITT about his success, then remembered the NDAs and sat down again.

He was pretty sure KITT would tell Devon if he found out, and he was _very_ sure that Devon would make him stop the podcast if if he found out about it.

And Michael wasn't ready for this to end yet, he was just getting started.

* * *

**influencer55:** Guys, you need to listen to the Knight Rider Podcast. It's this guy and he tells the weirdest stories about his life fighting crime. I'm pretty sure it's fake, but it's SO GOOD.

 **podcastfan8:** Huh, sounds interesting, I'll check it out.

 **KnightRiderPodOFFICIAL:** Thank you for listening to my podcast! I'm the guy who records it, and I can't tell you if it's real or not (😉) but I'm glad you like it!

 **podcastfan8:** Oookay I just heard it, and I think it's probably fake, but it's good. Also the main character has a partner called PARTNER? Makes you wonder...

 **clicking-buttons:** I'm gonna give it a listen.

 **KnightRiderPodOFFICIAL:** Thank you for listening!!!

* * *

Michael kept doing his regular work, but he also made time every week to record a new episode. He was gradually gaining more followers, and his fanbase grew more fun to read with every episode.

He couldn't check his comments while he was around KITT, since he didn't want KITT to see, but he couldn't help thinking about them all day and smiling.

KITT noticed, but he didn't realize what it meant.

* * *

**KR5ever:** EPISODE 7 IS UP OMG, DID YOU HEAR THE PART WHERE THE NARRATOR'S PARTNER TOOK A BULLET FOR HIM? I KNOW HE SUPPOSEDLY WEARS A BULLETPROOF VEST 24/7 BUT OMG

 **jetravenex:** I mean how does anyone not ship this?? It's so clear that Narrator and his partner care deeply about each other, and do you remember that time in one episode when they talked about getting a divorce?? I mean that would suggest that they're married...

 **clicking-buttons:** I mean Narrator/Mechanic is the real ship and anyone can see it, but go off I guess

 **KR5ever:** I WILL NOT ACCEPT THIS BLASPHEMY. NARRATOR/PARTNER FOR LIFE

 **Partner2:** Can we not ship real life people? That's pretty disrespectful, you do realize. They might not be comfortable with it.

 **secretimelady:** Narrator doesn't mind, he says we can draw our own conclusions if we want.

 **Partner2:** But what about the others? We don't know what they think.

 **an-opinion:** Can I just say? Boss/Narrator? Is a good ship? *Hides*

 **Partner2:** 😒

* * *

**Podcaster News headline:**

**Knight Rider is the Next Big Thing in True Crime Podcasting... But Are the Stories Even True? **

**knight-rider-fan-2000:** Of course it's real! I have to believe that Partner exists, okay?

 **IWannaBeYourPartner:** Don't listen to Podcaster News, all their articles are clickbait trash.

 **wtfknightrider:** The stories are all fiction though. You guys do realize that, right?

 **so-much-hope:** Don't be such a killjoy wtfknightrider, there are people who want to believe!

* * *

**manyemotions3:** Do you ever just

 **manyemotions3:** Think about

 **manyemotions3:** How Narrator calls him Partner in that one special tone of voice

 **thisismyship:** OMG YES I SHIP IT SO HARD

 **getalife:** Narrator/Partner shippers are just the worst. 🙄 Do you guys even hear yourselves sometimes?

 **IWannaBeYourPartner:** Stop making this about you @getalife, it's not about you.

 **getalife:** This is literally a public page and I can literally post what I want!

_< This thread has 276 new messages>_

* * *

**Podcaster News headline:  
**

**Narrator, the Man Behind the Knight Rider Podcast, Posted a Selfie Accidentally and Can We Just Say "Wow"?**

**researcher78:** Ahahaha this is such a joke. Someone just photoshopped a photo of Garthe Knight, that guy who went to prison a few years back. Podcaster News, you've been FOOLED.

 **NarratorIsLife:** Podcaster News, he took down the photo immediately and said he was hacked. Stop sharing it online, for fuck's sake!

 **autonomous-car:** @researcher78 Uhh you're right, that photo is definitely Garthe Knight with his mustache edited out. But Garthe KNIGHT, KNIGHT Rider? Seems sus to me

 **NarratorIsLife:** No. You did not just say that Narrator is actually a wanted criminal. Just no.

 **autonomous-car:** I'm just sayin'.

_< This thread has 56 new messages>_

* * *

**so-much-hope:** GET THIS TO 5000 RETWEETS TO BRING PARTNER IN AS A PODCAST GUEST

 **Hopeful:** Wait for real?!

 **KnightRiderPodOFFICIAL:** I can't do this, sorry! There's an important reason that I can't tell you!

 **KR5ever:** New headcanon! Partner is intensely self conscious about his voice!

 **Enthusiastic:** OMG awww I love this headcanon so much! Gonna write a fic about it!

* * *

KITT was downloading some new podcasts for the next road trip. He always made sure to test them, to ensure the audio was fine, and today he was doing that as usual for the newest podcast he wanted to try.

The Knight Rider Podcast.

He listened into it all of fifteen seconds, and then switched it off; he would know that voice anywhere.

He texted Michael's phone.

"Michael, what have you done this time?"

* * *

"Okay," Michael said, "Can you do one thing for me before you call in Devon?"

"One thing?" KITT asked, suspicious, "That depends."

"Okay," Michael said, "Here's the idea..."

* * *

**KnightRiderPodOFFICIAL:** Special live event happening RIGHT NOW! Here's the Twitch stream link!

 **electricjoy272:** Are we going to get to meet Partner??!

 **clicking-buttons:** OMG TUNING IN NOW

* * *

Michael set the screen to show the official podcast logo, not wanting to reveal too much about himself or KITT to the world. He'd brought his laptop down to the garage, and had set it on a table in front of KITT. He'd set a microphone on the floor in front of KITT, and had put on his own headset, so hopefully the sound quality would be okay.

"Hey guys, okay, so this is a one-time special event."

 **clicking-buttons:** OMG OMG I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING BUT IT'S HAPPENING

 **autonomous-car:** He's gonna reveal he's Garthe Knight, calling it now.

 **dragonfan5:** Please stop @autonomous-car. We've been over this.

Michael read the chat as it picked up speed, grinning in spite of his worry. "Look at them, KITT! I mean--"

 **researcher78:** Who's Kit?

 **podcastfan8:** Kit?

 **thisismyship:** Uhh...

"Sorry, I have hiccups today," Michael said hastily. "Kit!" He tried to make the name sound like a hiccup, with only marginal success.

"Nice save," KITT said wryly.

 **friendlyseaslug:** Who's that? Is that Kit?

"Today my partner's agreed to join me for a special guest appearance!" Michael said hastily. It was too late, the fans were going to run with this he knew, but oh well. "Everyone say hello to Partner."

"Hello, everyone, I'm, ah, Partner apparently," KITT said. "I still don't know why you're making me go by such a silly name though, _Narrator._ "

"Well it was all I could think of at four in the morning when I recorded the first episode," Michael said.

The chat went WILD.

 **knight-rider-fan-2000:** PARTNER IS HERE

 **chameleon:** was anyone going to tell me partner has the sexiest voice in existence??

 **that-banana-headed-bovine:** HE'S PERFECT AND I WANT TO PROTECT HIM

 **KR5ever:** If my headcanon is true and you're self conscious about your voice Partner, then you have no reason to be. OMG

KITT considered the screen, scanner swishing. "I'm not self conscious about my voice, no, how did you get that impression?" he asked.

"They wanted to hear from you and I told them you couldn't, so they theorized," Michael said.

"Oh," said KITT. "Narrator, you could have just told them you hadn't told me about this."

"But the mystery! You don't know these guys like I do, they _thrive_ on mystery."

"Now they think I'm shy!" KITT grumbled.

"Well hearing you now is probably helping with that misconception isn't it, Partner?" Michael asked, amused.

 **thisismyship:** Oh my gosh their tones! You can tell they have such a connection. <3

 **friendlyseaslug:** I didn't ship it before but now I do.

 **chameleon:** They sound like an old married couple.

 **Enthusiastic:** This is better than I ever imagined, it's totally canon!

 **Partner2:** GUYS THEY'RE LITERALLY READING THIS SHOW SOME RESPECT

"Ah. This is interesting," KITT said. "They appear to think we are an item."

"Some of them do, some of them think Mechanic and I are an item," Michael said. "Or the Boss and I, for that matter."

"Your fans are certainly enthusiastic about this," KITT said.

"Yeah, that's why I love them," Michael smiled. "I mean, look at this. Aren't they the best?"

A wave of excited messages scrolled through the chat, fans thrilled to be, in Michael's own words, 'the best'.

"There is something oddly enjoyable about this," KITT mused. "I did not know people cared so much about us."

"What are you two doing?" Bonnie asked, coming into the garage. "I heard you talking... what is going on?"

 **mechanic-is-best:** IT HAS TO BE MECHANIC I KNOW IT

 **fixingcars:** Mechanic pls send me an autograph I love you so much

"Narrator started a podcast," KITT explained, "We're having a livestream, and you can join if you want, but we can't use our names. He's Narrator and I'm Partner, and you're Mechanic."

"What about the NDAs?" Bonnie asked, raising her eyebrows. "Has uh... you know the person I mean... okayed this?"

"No, no the Boss hasn't," Michael said. "K-I mean Partner found out, and is going to tell him later, but first I wanted to make sure the fans got one last episode of my show, just in case he shuts it down."

"Oh." Bonnie considered that. "All right then, I'm in. What are the fans saying?"

The fans had been churning out messages as the three spoke, excitement and trepidation building with each moment. Mechanic was here! But this might be the last episode! But Partner had a lovely Boston accent! But the Boss might shut the show down! Was the lovable, eccentric Boss from the show the villain? Should the fandom hate him?

"No, no, you shouldn't hate him! He's just protecting us," KITT said hastily, reading the chat. "The Boss is a very good man."

The chat was not convinced.

"I'm not sure I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to join," Bonnie said, sitting down next to KITT so his mic could capture her voice more easily. "We're calling him the Boss, then?"

"Yep," Michael said. "I mean, it fits him, right?"

"Who are you talking about?" an extremely British voice asked from the doorway. "And what in God's name is happening in here?"

All three froze.

The chat did not.

 **podcastfan8:** It's the Boss! Listen to that voice, it has to be, it's so British OMG.

 **clicking-buttons:** brb literally screaming

 **chameleon:** DON'T YOU DARE END THIS PODCAST BOSS.

 **thisismyship:** I can feel the end of this thing coming, but all I can think about is how Narrator and Partner sounded when they argued. If it's all over, at least we have this.

 **friendlyseaslug:** SAVE KNIGHT RIDER!!!

"I can explain," Michael said weakly.

Devon didn't actually look angry yet, just absolutely puzzled to see Michael wearing a headset and KITT and Bonnie crowded around a microphone. He'd seen these people do strange things before, but not whatever this was. "Please do," he told Michael.

 **an-opinion:** Did you hear his tone? THIS IS WHY I SHIP NARRATOR/BOSS

 **influencer55:** BOSS IS LITERALLY HERE DON'T TALK ABOUT SHIPPING OR HE'LL SHUT THIS DOWN EVEN FASTER

"So uh, I made a podcast," Michael said, sheepish."I never used our names, I never gave any personal details. You can listen to the podcast and you'll see that it's all okay!"

 **Writer232:** Except for that time when he called Partner 'Kit' by mistake ahahaha

 **Partner2:** Shhh

 **a-robot:** Shhhhh!

 **clicking-buttons:** omg don't make this worse for us

Devon gave Michael a long look. "Mi--My my my," he corrected himself hastily, "Well I must say, you never fail to take me by surprise."

Michael looked, if possible, even more sheepish.

In the background, unnoticed by the FLAG team, the chat buzzed away with a merry argument about whether it was normal for British people to say 'my' four times in a row or if this was an unintentional Name Reveal. A good portion of the listeners had tabbed away to baby name sites, and were looking up every possible name that began with a sound like 'my', and statistically speaking they quickly concluded that it was probably the first syllable of 'Michael'.

"I had expected better from you two though," Devon said, turning his attention to Bonnie and KITT, "I thought you two had sense."

"Well maybe we just wanted to surprise you too for once," Bonnie said with a grin.

"And I was going to tell you after this livestream," KITT added, "You see, Narrator has a fanbase, and Narrator says he'll..." the slightest of pauses as he tried to explain without revealing the fact that he _was_ the car, "Wax my car for me if I help to make sure that his fans have at least one last fond memory of this show."

 **friendlyseaslug:** Was that a euphemism?

 **Enthusiastic:** Yeah... I think that was a euphemism. 'Wax my car for me', HA!

 **Writer232:** OMG NARRATOR/PARTNER IS CANON

"That was not a euphemism," KITT huffed, taking notice of the chat, "I just like to look nice."

 **KR5ever:** Wait

 **KR5ever:** PARTNER likes to look nice? But he was just talking about waxing cars, so it should be his car that looks nice...

 **KR5ever:** NEW AU WHERE PARTNER IS A TALKING CAR AND NARRATOR IS HIS DRIVER

 **friendlyseaslug:** OMG fanfic writers please write this.

 **Writer232:** *Flexes fingers* On it! One 'Partner is actually a car' AU coming up!

The four FLAG operatives stared at the screen in silence.

KITT's scanner swished.

"Thank you for coming to our impromptu livestream!" Devon said, voice projecting practiced cheer. "Good night everyone!" He clicked the button to end the stream.

"Well that went well," Michael said.

* * *

**KnightRiderPodOFFICIAL:** Good news, everyone! Boss has agreed to let the show continue, on two conditions: First, that I donate all Patreon proceeds to charity. And second, he's told me I have to bring in him, Partner, or Mechanic as a guest for every episode to make sure I don't leak confidential information! WHO'S HYPED? 🎉🎉🎉


End file.
